Ex Nimasa DG
Justice
Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on
Monday, October 7, 2019, ordered the temporary forfeiture of four
bank drafts totalling N37.5m and a hotel, La Diva, belonging to
Calistus Obi, a former acting Director-General, Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
Justice
Saidu gave the order, following an ex
parte application
filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, through
its counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.
The
hotel, which is located at Block V, Phase V and Plot11, Core Area,
Asaba, Delta State, comprises 22 rooms, a lobby bar, a
restaurant, a kitchen, a swimming pool, a 350-seater hall, a
gymnasium and a parking lot sitting on a 3000-metre square of land.
Counsel
to EFCC, Oyedepo, told the court that the money used to purchase the
property was fraudulently converted by the respondent from the
account of NIMASA.
The
EFCC, in an affidavit in support of the application, also stated that
the respondent used the funds he received from the Agency’s
Committee on Intelligence Gathering and Technical Committee on
Ratification to purchase the hotel.
The
applicant’s counsel further told the court that the respondent had
raised the drafts (one Zenith Bank Plc draft and three Diamond Bank
Plc draft) in the name of the EFCC to pay back part of the money he
fraudulently acquired from the NIMASA account while being prosecuted
for money laundering for which he was eventually convicted on May 23,
2019.
Oyedepo,
therefore, urged the court to grant the prayers of the anti-graft
agency on the grounds that the property and funds “are reasonably
suspected to be acquired with the proceeds of some unlawful
activities.”
Justice
Saidu, after listening to the prayers of the applicant, ordered the
interim forfeiture of the funds and property.
The
Judge also directed the publication of the interim forfeiture order
in any national newspaper for the respondent or any party who is
interested in the property to appear before the court and show cause
within fourteen (14) days why the final order of forfeiture of the
said property should not be made in favour of the Federal Government
Justice
Saidu adjourned the case to November 4, 2019 for further hearing.
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